In or Out?

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"In or Out?"
Publisher	IDW Publishing
Published in	G.I. Joe #0
First published	October 22, 2008
Cover date	October 2008
Written by	Larry Hama
Art by	Tom Feister
Letters by	Neil Uyetake
Editor	Andy Schmidt

Birth of a Joe!

Synopsis

In a darkened room, a man in general's uniform, known only as Hawk, asks a wounded soldier a simple question: "in or out?" The soldier has no idea why he's sitting there, but suspects it relates to his last mission in Trucial, where his supply convoy was ambushed with explosives and heavy weapons fire. The soldier successfully marshalled his comrades to retaliate, and Hawk reveals the two medals he has been awarded for those actions... but they are being awarded posthumously.

As Hawk reassembles a pistol that has been sitting on the table, he repeats his question, but the soldier pushes for information on what he'd be signed up for. Hawk volunteers only that he'd be defending the Constitution, and as the soldier deliberates, the mysterious general simply loads and cocks the pistol...

The soldier is in. Hawk hands him the pistol, and informs him that his new name is "Duke". This meeting, and Duke's old life, are to be forgotten. Before leaving, Duke asks whether he would have been shot if he had opted out, but Hawk replies only with an assurance that they're the "good guys."

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

G.I. Joe
Duke (1) Hawk (2)

Notes

G.I. Joe references

• The country of Trucial is a reference to "Trucial Abysmia," one of the many fictional countries featured in the Marvel G.I. Joe comic book. Writer Larry Hama almost certainly intended for this to be a case of Duke getting cut off by Hawk in mid-sentence before he could finish saying the country's full name, but years later, G.I. Joe vol. 3 #3 would take the line at face value and refer to the country as just "Trucial."